Everybody Loves Tuscany

Ricciarelli are chewy Italian almond cookies which originated in Siena, Italy. Ricciarelli are characterized by a rough and cracked surface that are sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. Ingredients 200g of blanched almonds -160g of powdered sugar -45g of egg white -15g of candied oranges -one pinch of salt -half a vial of almond aroma -corn starch […]

Passeggiata in Siena Passeggiata is a leisurely walk that most Italian take part in each night.  Locals are out for an evening ritual stroll to socialize and catch up with friends.  The passeggiata takes place in the main roads during the early evening hours where people take in the beautiful scenery in the towns. Have […]

Siena Siena centro storico is definitely known for it’s abundance of sights such as Piazza del Campo, Torre del Mangia, Piazza del Duomo and much more.  Take a wander around Siena and explore some of the food Siena offers in this video.  Do you know what foods Siena is famous for? Video from youtube Italy […]

Top Day Trips From Florence Without A Car Since moving to Florence, I have received a lot of emails asking for suggestions for day trips from those travelling without a car. I always advise using Florence as a base because the trains and buses make it very easy to visit other cities. Florence is also […]

Palazzo Chigi Saracini Palazzo Chigi-Saracini is a Gothic urban palace located on of the Via di Città in the Terzo di Città in central Siena, region of Tuscany, Italy. In 2014 it housed the Accademia Musicale Chigiana. It was built by the Marescotti family in the 12th century. It was the house of Count Galgano Lucarini Saracini and then it became property of Fabio […]

Italy Highlight: The Medieval City of Siena The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site.  It is one of the nation’s most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008.  Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year. Wikipedia JOIN US ON […]

Details of Siena Cathedral Duomo di Siena is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta (Holy Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption). The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the […]

Pavement in Siena Cathedral The Cathedral of Siena contains numerous masterpieces from every epoch. A work that in many respects is exceptional, is the floor, “the most beautiful … largest and most magnificent … that ever was made” in the words of Giorgio Vasari, the fruit of a plan that took on concrete form through […]

Gates of Heaven tour. See Siena from above! Here is a short video I took while on the Gates of Heaven tour in Siena. The guided tour consists of walking  “above” the sacred temple, seeing the incredible internal view of Siena Cathedral as well as external views of the magnificent city.   Reservations for the tour […]

THE PALIO OF SIENA The Palio of Siena (known locally simply as Il Palio) is a horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards. The Palio […]